Bailing on sport route

So, as I attempt to climb harder routes on lead, I am wondering what the best method (ie the one that sacrifices the least gear) is to bail on a route that is too difficult. Clip an old carabiner into a bolt I suppose, does anyone ever use screwlinks for this?

Just curious,

Thanks,

Nate

Climbing with someone better than you is usually the best way, but obviously not always possible. Bringing a crappy biner with you is always good.

Also, consider trying to downclimb. It's great for your footwork, and you don't lose a thing! (except for your dignity of course).

Screwlinks just create a pain in the ass for the next guy to deal with.

i dunno bout you guys, but I'm using a good biner.

If you don't have a stronger partner to finish the route for you, bring a stick clip and use it to aid to the anchors. You don't lose any gear and you can climb the route on toprope if you so choose.

Start Drinkin'

Sorry James,
I know that it takes a lot to get out there and push your limits, but everyone I climb with makes tons of fun of the people we see aiding a route with a stick clip.

Nate, if you pick routes that you can redpoint (eventually), then you can usually get to the anchors. Fear is what normally holds us back. Dont say take, get up there and fall of, you will figure it out.
That said, just leave an old biner, you will find enough bail biners others have left that you will even out on the bootie. Dont leave a screw link, like Christian said, complete pain in the ass, and a good one doesnt cost to much less than an oval biner.
Oh, and I second "start drinkin'"

If the route isn't too steep, you can use Ye Olde Slynge Trycke.

Disclaimer, first: if you get hurt doing this, don't come crying to me. Also, there's definitely some risk of messing this up...so try it on the ground first...

1: clip in direct to the last clipped bolt. CLipping into the quickdraw works.
2: take a 2ft sling and double it through the bolt.
3: untie from the rope. oooh, i know, scary. you're hanging from a single bolt. Thread the rope through the sling;you'll be rapping off it soon. Don't drop the rope.
4. this is the tricky part....tie one end of the rope to one side of the sling. so, from the free end of the rope, touching the ground, the rope goes up and throgh the sling, back to the ground, then back up to where it's tied to the sling. make sure you tie it to the side of the sling with the bar tack.
5. rap from both strands. make sure they're the correct strands, i.e. not the one tied to the sling. make sure to note which strand is tied to the sling, though, or you could really fuck this all up.
6. When you reach the ground, you'll be pulling the second rappel strand...that is, NOT the one touching the ground as a free end, NOT the one tied to the sling...
7. Once pulled all the way through, the sling will come down as well.

and if you are on a route with those chunky 1/2" glue-ins, you can rap directly from the bolt...no sling necessary.

Provided one has enough cord, David's explanation is indeed the skool method of getting down sans leaving a biner.

David Aguasca wrote:If the route isn't too steep, you can use Ye Olde Slynge Trycke. Disclaimer, first: if you get hurt doing this, don't come crying to me. Also, there's definitely some risk of messing this up...so try it on the ground first... 1: clip in direct to the last clipped bolt. CLipping into the quickdraw works. 2: take a 2ft sling and double it through the bolt. 3: untie from the rope. oooh, i know, scary. you're hanging from a single bolt. Thread the rope through the sling;you'll be rapping off it soon. Don't drop the rope. 4. this is the tricky part....tie one end of the rope to one side of the sling. so, from the free end of the rope, touching the ground, the rope goes up and throgh the sling, back to the ground, then back up to where it's tied to the sling. make sure you tie it to the side of the sling with the bar tack. 5. rap from both strands. make sure they're the correct strands, i.e. not the one tied to the sling. make sure to note which strand is tied to the sling, though, or you could really fuck this all up. 6. When you reach the ground, you'll be pulling the second rappel strand...that is, NOT the one touching the ground as a free end, NOT the one tied to the sling... 7. Once pulled all the way through, the sling will come down as well.

Extra points if you use a shoelace instead of webbing.

PRRose wrote: Extra points if you use a shoelace instead of webbing.

DOUBLE points if it's underwear. YOUR underwear.

Do you consider your life worth the cost of a carabiner ? Get lowered GENTLY from a NEW 'biner. Don't get killed while you're just trying to get down safely .

Davids method is preferable if you have time, but in a serious situation, like weather or injury, carrying a couple quick links on your harness and using one of those is the easiest. Tough nuggets for the next guy, he'll get over it. Edit: or she, as most women seem to be way better climbers than I'll ever be.

If the route is bolted closely enough you could do aid through the crux by yarding on the draw, or stepping into a sling clipped to the bolt. Or as others mentioned you could do some form of downclimbing/downfalling to clean the gear - assuming the falls are safe. Otherwise a $5 biner is a small price to pay to get down.

johnL wrote:My favorite bail booty is that which I've grabbed while freesoloing. It's more of an ego boost than a blowjob.

My guess is you don't get much or many of either .

Kateri Aren't wrote:If the route is bolted closely enough you could do aid through the crux by yarding on the draw, or stepping into a sling clipped to the bolt.

This crap only works in Colorado. This would never work in the Southeast b/c the FA's didn't like the idea of someone aiding one of their routes. Porter Jarrad and Doug Reed at the New River and Red River Gorge made you work for every single clip.

This isn't the case at every crag in CO I've been to, but Shelf, CCC, and BC is definitely the case.

I usually like to pull out a file and make the hanger nice and sharp and then rap directly off of that.

(totally kidding of course)

Have some cheap biners available or examine top rop access first. Scary traverses with potential pendulums are always a good adrenaline rush too(to get to other anchors).

jarthur wrote: This crap only works in Colorado.

So perhaps you've never (?) pulled on a draw or stepped in a sling before jarthur, but it's obviously an effective way of getting through a crux move for sport, trad and alpine lines. Personally, I don't think it's a big deal when other people do it.

After you leave a biner or rapid link don't forget to wait a few weeks and then post about someone stealing your gear of a route. We just don't get enough of those conversations around here.

I always carry a screw link. I used one to retreat once, but I was able to recover it 30 minutes later. I generally climb in more secluded areas, and I rarely see climbers not in my own party. I never even thought about not being able to recover it and someone else having to deal with it. Of course, it wasn't difficult at all to clip a draw through the bolt above the link.

If you're one of those "every milli-ounce counts" climbers, consider that a cheap aluminum 0 biner will be lighter to lug around.

David Aguasca wrote:If the route isn't too steep, you can use Ye Olde Slynge Trycke. Disclaimer, first: if you get hurt doing this, don't come crying to me. Also, there's definitely some risk of messing this up...so try it on the ground first... 1: clip in direct to the last clipped bolt. CLipping into the quickdraw works. 2: take a 2ft sling and double it through the bolt. 3: untie from the rope. oooh, i know, scary. you're hanging from a single bolt. Thread the rope through the sling;you'll be rapping off it soon. Don't drop the rope. 4. this is the tricky part....tie one end of the rope to one side of the sling. so, from the free end of the rope, touching the ground, the rope goes up and throgh the sling, back to the ground, then back up to where it's tied to the sling. make sure you tie it to the side of the sling with the bar tack. 5. rap from both strands. make sure they're the correct strands, i.e. not the one tied to the sling. make sure to note which strand is tied to the sling, though, or you could really fuck this all up. 6. When you reach the ground, you'll be pulling the second rappel strand...that is, NOT the one touching the ground as a free end, NOT the one tied to the sling... 7. Once pulled all the way through, the sling will come down as well. and if you are on a route with those chunky 1/2" glue-ins, you can rap directly from the bolt...no sling necessary.

That's a lot of work to save a $7 biner. Ironcially, you just trashed an $8 sling by burning it. I'm all for pushing one's limits but anyone doing this on a regular basis may need a reality check on what routes to attempt.

Mark Nelson wrote:i dunno bout you guys, but I'm using a good biner.

What he said.